History

The festival began in 1987 as the Rose City Blues Festival – a concert to support the homeless, sponsored by the Cascade Blues Association. Performers included John Lee Hooker, the Paul deLay Band, Curtis Salgado, Norman Sylvester Blues Band and Lloyd Jones Struggle.

But the countdown of the annual blues festival begins in 1988 when Oregon Food Share, predecessor of Oregon Food Bank, became producer and beneficiary. That year, the festival raised $7,500 and 650 pounds of food.

In 1991, the festival was renamed the Waterfront Blues Festival.

Artist Gary Houston has been creating unique works of art for the festival each year since 2001.

During the past 29 years, the festival has grown steadily in size and reputation and is recognized as the nation’s premier blues festival. Since 1988, the festival has raised more than $10 million and over 1,000 tons of food to benefit Oregon Food Bank. The 2016 festival raised $1,043,571 to fight hunger in Oregon and Clark County, Wash.

Along the way, the Festival has brought to Portland’s Waterfront Park blues/soul/roots legends, many of whom made their Northwest debuts here. Newer acts have also had the opportunity to show case their music and style.

The festival has also received numerous awards. In 2011, Essential Travel magazine, based in London, listed the festival as one of the Top 10 USA Festivals. In 2009, Outside magazine listed the festival as one of the Top 10 Outdoor Festivals. The festival is the winner of the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the International Blues Foundation and the recipient of the Ovation Award from the Oregon Festivals & Events Association as Oregon’s Best Festival, Civic Celebration or Community Event.

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, keeping many people away, we raised $869,214 for Oregonians facing hunger. That's the equivalent of 2.6 million meals!

More than 1,500 volunteers gave over 6,500 hours of their time at the 2015 festival!

We couldn't do it without you, our sponsors, vendors, volunteers and staff.

2014

The 27th annual Waterfront Blues Festival once again exceeded the festival's $1 million goal by raising $1,114,004 thanks to attendees, sponsors, partners, vendors, volunteers, staff and board. The Oregon Potters Association raised more than $25,000 for Oregon Food Bank through sale of pottery at its Empty Bowls booth, with volunteers donating 198 hours in the booth.

In its inaugural year, the Red, White & Blues 10K 5K organized by Better Series started and finished at the festival site, and once again the Safeway Fireworks display wowed attendees on Friday, July 4th.

2013

The 26th annual Waterfront Blues Festival broke all fundraising records, bringing in $1.315 million through donations at the gate and purchase of special tickets and passes, exceeding the festival's $1 million goal. In addition, blues fans donated 78,198 pounds of food and the Oregon Potters Association raised close to $16,000 for Oregon Food Bank through sale of pottery at its Empty Bowls booth.

As in past years, entry to the festival for the first three days, remained a suggested donation of $10 and two cans of food. But, this year, for the first time, entry to Sensational Sunday required a festival pass.

More than 2,000 volunteers and generous festival sponsors help make the festival possible.

2012

The festival's 25th anniversary was a rousing success! Festival attendees contributed $902,000 through donations at the gate as well as advance purchases of special passes and DME blues cruise tickets, just shy of the festival’s goal of $945,000. In addition, the festival raised an estimated 116,584 pounds of food, exceeding its goal of 100,000 pounds. More than 120,000 people thrilled to five jam-packed days of the best blues in the world including Steve Miller Band, Elvin Bishop Band with James Cotton, Booker T., Charlie Musselwhite, Toots and the Maytals, Bobby Rush, Otis Taylor, JJ Grey & Mofro, Galactic, The Mannish Boys with Sugaray Rayford, Roy Rogers, Lionel Young, Cedric Burnside Project, James Hunter and more.

Perfect weather, committed sponsors and more than 2,300 enthusiastic volunteers also contributed to the festival's success. The festival re-vamped the workshop stage, renaming it the FedEx Crossroads Stage, where artists delivered interviews, workshops and stripped-down sets.

The festival attracted more than 120,000 people, who contributed 110,454 pounds of food and $748,000 through donations at the gate as well as advance purchases of special passes, exceeding the festival’s donation goal of 100,000 pounds of food and $650,000. The Oregon Potters Association also broke a record, contributing $20,760 to Oregon Food Bank through sales of hand-made pottery and glass at its Empty Bowls booth. The festival also added a giant screen in the middle of the bowl to help blues fans see all of the action on the festival's two main stages.

Blues fans donated more than $479,343 at the gate. This year, the festival also offered blues fans new ways to increase their donations by buying special passes. Special passes purchased online added $65,295 to festival coffers, enabling the Oregon Food Bank to exceed its $500,000 goal with total donations of $544,638. In addition, blues fans contributed more than 76,363 pounds of food. Festival entry was $10 and two cans of food per person, per day.

With the help of Portland Parks and Recreation, Hoffman Construction and Kink.fm, fireworks featured two barges and were twice the size of any other fireworks display in Oregon. Festival entry was !$10 and two cans of food. Generous blues fans donated $538,000 at the gate, making gate donation the second highest in the festival's 21-year history and highest for a four-day festival. Attendees also donated 91,192 pounds of food. Oregon Potters Association raised $12,995. And for the first time, boaters listening to the music from the Willamette River, flew special flags recognizing their combined donations of $3,306.

Portland Oregon Visitors Association presented the festival with its 2007 Rose City Award. Gorgeous new scrims on the A&E Front Porch Stage put blues fans right in the heart of the Delta Swamp. Special 20th anniversary features included an expanded lineup of nine DME Blues Cruises, an offical U.S. Post Office postmark commemorating the festival, more features for children and families, surprise collaborations and guest apperaences and much more. Generous blues fans donated $510,000 and 97,343 pounds of food at the gate. Festival entry was $8 and two cans of food.

The 2006 festival focused on the music of New Orleans. It featured celebrity Chef Cris Pasia. The 4th of July featured two a cappella renditions of the National Anthem with 10-year-old Javon Carter, 4th-grader at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and winner of the National Anthem project; and Irma Thomas "Soul Queen of New Orleans. Blues fans donated 103,500 pounds of food and $545,000 at the gate.

The 2004 festival celebrated the late Howlin' Wolf and spotlighted the blues-based music of Louisiana and Texas. It also offered more cruises and more educational workshops. Generous blues fans donated $323,000 and 100,649 pounds of food.

2003

The 16th annual Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival celebrated the Year of the Blues. The festival broke all records. Even though the day was a day shorter than the previous year, blues fans donated $363,000 net and 120,000 pounds of food to Oregon Food Bank. The festival began offering blues cruises on the Willamette River, giving fans a chance to see their favorite acts in a more intimate setting on the Portland Spirit.

The festival attracts 120,000 fans, who donate more than $310,000 and more than 115,000 pounds of food. In addition, the Oregon Potters Association raises more than $21,200 through its Empty Bowls project. More than 1,100 volunteers help run the festival.

1990

1989

Festival moves to ‘the bowl’ in Waterfront Park just south of the Hawthorne Bridge, with two alternating ‘main’ stages playing to the crowd from opposite ends of the site. Festival expands to three days with a lineup that included non-stop performances by John Mayall, James Cotton, Paul deLay Band, Norman Sylvester, Curtis Salgado and the Stilettos, Bernie Pearl Band, Terry Robb Band, Harmonica Fats, Jimmy Dawkins Band. The festival raises pounds of canned food
and $7,500.

1988

Oregon Food Share, predecessor of Oregon Food Bank, becomes the producer and beneficiary of the Rose City Blues Festival. This becomes Oregon's first annual blues festival to benefit people who are hungry in Oregon. Miller Genuine Draft is the festival's first title sponsor. The countdown of annual blues festivals begins here. This two-day festival at Waterfront Park featured a beer garden and continuous music from noon to 10 p.m. each day with 40 acts on two stages—a main stage south of the Morrison Bridge, and an acoustic stage at Salmon Street Fountain

Entry was a $1 donation and a can of food with proceeds going to Oregon Food Bank. In addition to Miller Genuine Draft, sponsors included Seagram’s Wine Cooler, KGON, the Cascade Blues Association and Downtowner Magazine. The festival raised $7,500 and 650 pounds of food.

1987

Festival begins as the Rose City Blues Festival, sponsored by the Cascade Blues Association, to benefit Burnside Community Council's projects for the homeless. Performers on the single main stage—a flatbed truck parked north of the Morrison Bridge—included John Lee Hooker, Paul deLay Band, Curtis Salgado & the Stilletos, Norman Sylvester Blues Band, Lloyd Jones Struggle, Bill Rhoades & The Party Kings, The Mayther Brothers, Terry Robb Band and DK Stewart. KBOO radio station broadcasts performances and has continued to do so throughout the history of the festival.